The present invention concerns a reflective solar furnace for utilization of solar rays and a method for constructing said furnace.
Utilization of solar energy while highly desirable for obvious reasons encounters numerous obstacles one of which being the fabrication of a furnace and optical components at a reasonable cost. For this and other reasons use of solar energy has been limited, for the most part, to experimental uses under laboratory conditions.
In the construction of dish-shaped solar furnaces the reflective surface or surfaces must be in a precise angular relationship for reflection of the light rays toward a common target or focus whereat a heat exchanging device is located. Fabrication of the reflective solar furnace from a monolithic mass with known methods would incur extensive manhour effort resulting in a furnace too costly for all but experimental purposes.
The shell portion of the present solar furnace is fabricated from relatively low cost materials utilizing known fiber glass lay-up techniques well within the capability of a skilled workman. The combination of reflective material with said shell does not require the time consuming care or optical skill normally associated with optical devices resulting in a substantial cost reduction. The present method utilizes a template to uniformly shape a convex mold on which the solar furnace is formed. The mirror elements are initially applied to a loosely woven sheet of material for subsequent simultaneous application to the mold whereby each element is properly positioned with respect to the molds axis so as to provide a common focal point at a point along said axis. The dished-shaped furnace is completed over the convex mold member with known fiber glass techniques. The heat exchanger is suitably served by conduits which may be routed through the furnace shell.
Important objects of the present solar furnace and method of constructing same include: the provision of a furnace having a multitude of mirror elements each disposed about a concave surface so as to provide a common focal point for the reflected rays; the provision of a furnace of lightweight durable construction for exposure to the elements; the provision of a furnace utilizing readily available relatively low cost components enabling the furnace adaptable to a wide range of applications; a method of furnace construction within the capability of skilled workers not requiring a high degree of optical experience nor the precision effort normally encountered in the fabrication of optical instruments; the provision of a low cost method of furnace construction whereby mirror elements may be applied about the convex mold surface in a convenient manner dispensing with individual placement of said mirror elements to substantially reduce manufacturing costs.